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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Falcons haven't looked this good since 1998. The Carolina Panthers have never looked this bad. Linebacker Keith Brooking had a big defensive game and fullback Bob Christian ran for a touchdown as the Falcons extended the Panthers' franchise-record losing streak to 10 games with a 10-7 victory. The Falcons (6-4) won their third straight and moved two games over the .500 mark for the first time since the 1998 season -- a season in which they went 14-2 and reached the Super Bowl for the only time in club history. "I'm really proud of our football team," Falcons coach Dan Reeves said. "Our defense did an outstanding job. We struggled offensively. It wasn't what you would describe as pretty, but it goes down as a win." Brooking, a rising star at middle linebacker, led the defensive charge with nine tackles and a sack. He also led a goal-line stand in the second quarter, when the Falcons stopped Carolina on four straight plays from 1. On fourth down, the 6-2, 245-pounder stuffed Richard Huntley for no gain. After the big defensive stand, the Falcons moved 99 yards in 11 plays. Christian, who had a 53-yard drive on the drive, capped it with a four-yard run with 2:09 left before halftime, giving Atlanta a 10-0 lead. Rookie quarterback Chris Weinke scored on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter for Carolina (1-10), which has not won since a season-opening victory at Minnesota. Christian was huge as both a runner and receiver on the Falcons' first scoring drive of the afternoon in the opening quarter. He had a 17-yard run and 15-yard reception on the 10-play, 45-yard march. Chris Chandler also had a 14-yard completion to Shawn Jefferson on a 3rd-and-7 play that moved the ball to the Carolina 17. But the drive stalled and Jay Feely kicked a 39-yard field goal with 67 seconds left in the period. Carolina squandered an opportunity to take the lead in the second quarter after having 1st-and-goal at the Falcons 1. On first down, Weinke threw incomplete. Brad Hoover and Huntley were stopped on consecutive running plays before Huntley was again stuffed on fourth down. "We came up big at the right time and had some guys step up," Brooking said. "This league is about making plays. The last three weeks we've been in situations where a few plays could turn the game around." Sparked by that big defensive stop, the Falcons took all the momentum and their offense moved 99 yards in 11 plays, a march that took nearly seven minutes. Christian had the big play on the drive, breaking off a 53-yard run on 3rd-and-3 from the Atlanta 8. Later in the drive, he had a four-yard run on 3rd-and-2 that moved the ball to the Carolina 10. Three plays later, Christian went around right end and scored on a four-yard run to give Atlanta a 10-0 lead with 2:09 left in the half. Christian finished with 78 yards rushing and Maurice Smith had 57 on 21 carries for Atlanta, which swept the season series from the Panthers and beat them for the seventh time in the last eight meetings. "I'm happy to get the win. I know my teammates appreciate whatever I do," Christian said. "We want to establish the run to open up the passing game." After a scoreless third quarter, the Panthers finally got their offense in gear on their initial drive of the fourth period as they moved 78 yards in 10 plays. Weinke, who struggled for much of the afternoon, had completions of 12 yards to Donald Hayes and found Isaac Byrd for 25 yards on the march. He scored on a 12-yard run with 7:12 left to cap the drive and pull the Panthers within 10-7. Weinke finished 17-of-31 for 171 yards and two interceptions. With his team down trailing by a field goal, Weinke tried to engineer a comeback later in the fourth quarter. But on 4th-and-1 from the Atlanta 45, Weinke was stopped on a sneak by defensive end Patrick Kerney, giving Atlanta possession at the two-minute warning. "We were in a defensive stop formation," Brooking said. "Everyone in the stadium knew they were running a quarterback sneak. We had guys giving great second effort." "We were probably one (chain) link away from the first down," Weinke said. "I thought we got that and then some. I thought any forward movement would get us the first down. At that point in the game, I felt we could get down there and at least get a field goal."
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